Dao of The Demonic Cultivator

Not only was Jian Yitong astonished, but Chu Xuan was also somewhat surprised. From their brief encounter, he had discerned that this young man was certainly not of low status.

Despite only being at the first layer of the Golden Core, he was adorned with treasures. Such a person either held a high status or possessed exceptional talents.

Typically, aren't such cultivators known for their vengeful nature?

Yet, despite having his life-bound magic treasure nearly shattered by Chu Xuan, there was no hint of resentment in his eyes, no waiting for a future day of retribution.

Instead, his demeanor softened, and he even proffered a mid-grade flying magic treasure—an act completely at odds with the vindictive geniuses of typical cultivation novels.

Seeing Chu Xuan remain silent, Yuan Zichu gritted his teeth and pulled out three Golden Core-stage talismans. "Elder He, here are two Earth Prison Talismans and one Five Thunder Talisman, all crafted by myself."

Jian Yitong was immediately taken aback. Yuan Zichu was a well-known talisman master within the Hundred Refinements Sect.

The Earth Prison Talisman he crafted could detain enemies for a longer duration than those made by other talisman masters. The Five Thunder Talisman also boasted greater power.

Other Golden Core cultivators would usually seek to purchase talismans from him, yet here he was, offering three to Chu Xuan.

Chu Xuan's expression remained unchanged, "Since that is the case, I shall accept them."

With a sweep of his hand, he collected the mirror and the three talismans into his pouch. Treasures offered on a silver platter should never be declined.

Yuan Zichu finally breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Chu Xuan take the magic treasures and talismans.

Although Jian Yitong might not have understood, Yuan had recognized Chu Xuan's strength during their confrontation.

A body cultivator, and one who had cultivated his physical body to an incredibly strong realm—potentially capable of contending with late-stage Golden Core cultivators!

Body refining consumes a tremendous amount of resources and is considered a path against the natural order in these times. That He Liang had achieved such a state indicated either extraordinary talent or substantial resources.

Either way, Yuan Zichu did not wish to provoke him. Although he was known for his vindictiveness, he also knew whom he could afford to retaliate against and whom he could not.

Clearly, the master of Black Dragon Mountain was not someone he could afford to antagonize.

Yuan Zichu smiled, "Elder He, my Daoist hall is located six thousand li east of Black Dragon Mountain, on Thousand Hammer Peak. When you have time, I would be honored to host you."

With those words, he rode the winds away, vanishing in the blink of an eye, though it seemed almost as if he was fleeing.

Song Junjie and Qian Tang were simultaneously delighted and shocked, with a tinge of melancholy. While they were pleased with their master's growing strength, it also meant that they would likely never escape his control.

Jian Yitong blinked, the initial surprise giving way to understanding as he realized that Yuan Zichu was indeed frightened by Chu Xuan. This was why he had offered treasures and talismans, fearing that Chu Xuan might harbor intentions to kill.

"Let's all go back," Chu Xuan dismissed with a wave of his hand.

Jian Yitong cleared his throat and spoke in a low voice, "The Heaven Burning Sect is about to make its move; I suspect they'll act against us soon. A senior Golden Core cultivator I know has organized a gathering of Golden Core cultivators. You just need to swallow a Transformative Voice Pill to attend, and no one will know who you are.

Elder He, if you are interested, it might be worth checking out. I assume you haven't gathered enough sect contributions to exchange for items yet, and such a gathering could present valuable opportunities."

Chu Xuan appeared contemplative. A Golden Core assembly sounded promising indeed. Perhaps he could acquire a thunder python core there, which could advance his realm into the Golden Core phase in Qi refining.

As for the Transformative Voice Pill, being a master of disguise, he was well aware of it—a pill that allowed one to alter one's appearance and voice. His storage bag still contained many such items, and his current disguise techniques were far more advanced than what the pill offered. He could easily discern others' disguises while remaining undetected himself.

If Jian Yitong was setting a trap, or if the Golden Core assembly harbored hidden dangers, that would suit him even better! His thirty layers of body refinement were not just for show.

"When and where?" Chu Xuan asked.

"Six days from now, in Divine Star Valley," Jian Yitong replied, producing a jade slip. "You will need this to enter."

"Good," Chu Xuan nodded.

...

Six days later, Divine Star Valley.

The spiritual qi here was not particularly dense, but it had always been regarded as a sacred site by the Divine Star Sect, for it was from this valley that the sect's founder had embarked on the path that led to the establishment of the mighty Divine Star Sect.

However, since the sect had uneventfully dissolved, the valley had been plundered by rogue cultivators and had become a ruin. No one visited this "sacred site" of a fallen sect anymore.

A streak of light cut through the sky as Chu Xuan landed in the valley. "An array, and a large-scale illusionary one at that. Impressive," he noted with a light chuckle.

He took out a jade slip from his storage bag. The slip seemed to sense something and flew out on its own, casting a beam of light. Where the light touched, a screen of light split open before him. Through the screen, one could see a completely different world.

Chu Xuan stepped forward confidently. The scenery transformed instantly before him, revealing a long table and several scattered chairs.

Twelve cultivators were seated on the chairs, most of them cautiously spaced apart, although a few who seemed to know each other sat closer.

As Chu Xuan entered, all twelve Golden Core cultivators turned their gazes towards him. He returned their looks without hesitation.

Before arriving at Divine Star Valley, he had ingested a "Grand Transformation Pill" he had concocted himself. Not only had his appearance and voice changed, but even his physique was altered.

Moreover, he had concealed his aura using the Turtle Breath Technique. No matter how the others tried to probe, they could only discern that he was a mid-stage Golden Core Qi cultivator, with no visible signs of his body refinement.

A burly man burst into laughter, "Hahaha, another fellow Daoist has arrived, welcome!"

"Please, take a seat," he gestured.

Chu Xuan casually chose a seat and began to survey the twelve Golden Cores. None wore masks, evidently having consumed transformative form and voice pills.

However, with his profound expertise in disguise, Chu Xuan could still identify several individuals whose features had been altered by the pills. Yet, whether the appearances revealed by the pills were genuine was debatable.

For instance, Chu Xuan himself was using the alias 'He Liang' and a face that was not his own.

After scanning the room, he spotted Jian Yitong. The old man had transformed himself into a strikingly handsome young man in white, flirtatiously interacting with a voluptuous woman whose seductive gaze was like silk.

"The holders of the jade slips have all arrived, good," remarked the burly man after a pause. He smiled and continued, "Since we have three newcomers today, I will reiterate the rules of the Hidden Mountain Gathering.

First, the Hidden Mountain Gathering does not discriminate based on alignment, sect, or nationality; anyone is welcome to trade here."

Second, members of the Hidden Mountain Gathering should address each other by codenames and must not reveal their real names or identities. Of course, if you choose to disclose your identity, you must bear the consequences yourself.

Third, no member may reveal the existence of the Hidden Mountain Gathering to outsiders. Violators will be pursued and executed by all members of the gathering!"

As he delivered the last rule, the tone of the burly man turned unmistakably stern.